Enzymic reactions of fatty acid hydroperoxides in extracts of potato tuber. I. Comparison 9D- and 13L-hydroperoxy-octadecadienoic acids as substrates for the formation of a divinyl ether derivative.

1. 9-D-Hydroperoxy-octadeca-trans-10, cis-12-dienoic acid (formed from linoleic acid by potato lipoxygenase) is enzymically converted to a divinyl ether derivative (colneleic acid) by extracts of potato tuber. 2. the isomeric 13-L-hydroperoxide (formed from linoleic acid by soyabean lipoxygenase) is not a substrate for this enzyme system. 3. the enzyme reaction was not dependent on oxygen and was unaffected by metal chelators and thiol reagents. 4. studies with 18O-labelled substrate indicate that the ether oxygen atom in colneleic acid is not derived from the oxygens of the hydroperoxide group.